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MolnOS Docs

Installation Deep Dive

MolnOS runs on a single host within your infrastructure of choice—local, on-prem, or cloud—and is deliberately intended to be straightforward to get working.

System Requirements

Section titled “System Requirements”

Operating System:

  • Linux (any modern distribution)
  • macOS

Runtime:

Hardware:

  • Works on anything that runs Linux

Network:

  • Internet access during initial installation (to download MolnOS)
  • SMTP server access (for authentication emails)
  • Inbound network access for users and integrations

Quick Start

Section titled “Quick Start”

The fastest way to install MolnOS is using the one-line installer:

Terminal window
curl -sSL https://releases.molnos.cloud/install.sh | bash

This installs the MolnOS CLI to ~/.local/bin/molnos. You may need to add this directory to your PATH:

Terminal window
export PATH="$HOME/.local/bin:$PATH"

Installation Steps

Section titled “Installation Steps”
  1. Install the MolnOS CLI using the quick start command above.
  2. Install the MolnOS API: molnos install. This downloads and installs the MolnOS API to ~/.molnos/.
  3. Create a configuration file in your desired working directory: molnos init. This creates a molnos.config.json template file.
  4. Configure MolnOS by editing molnos.config.json with your settings (see Configuration below).
  5. Start MolnOS: molnos start. The API server will start and display the URL where MolnOS is accessible.

That’s it! MolnOS is now running on your infrastructure.

Configuration

Section titled “Configuration”

See the dedicated Configuration page for any details about that subject.

CLI Commands

Section titled “CLI Commands”

The MolnOS CLI provides several commands for managing your installation:

Terminal window
# Install the MolnOS API
molnos install


# Check for and install updates
molnos upgrade


# Create a config file template
molnos init


# Start the MolnOS API server
molnos start


# Validate your MolnOS license key
molnos license


# Activate your MolnOS license key
molnos activate         # Implicit: picks "molnos.licenseKey" value from local molnos.config.json
molnos activate <key>.  # Explicit


# Deactivate your MolnOS license key
molnos deactivate       # Implicit: picks "molnos.licenseKey" value from local molnos.config.json
molnos deactivate <key> # Explicit


# Read the MolnOS documentation
molnos docs


# Read the MolnOS software agreement
molnos legal


# Remove MolnOS from your system
molnos uninstall

Updating MolnOS

Section titled “Updating MolnOS”

To update to the latest version:

Terminal window
molnos upgrade

This checks for updates and installs them automatically. Your configuration and data are preserved.

Data Storage

Section titled “Data Storage”

MolnOS stores all data locally on your host:

  • Installation: ~/.molnos/ (API binary and version info)
  • Configuration: molnos.config.json (in your working directory)
  • Data: Local database files (in your working directory)